


Bulletproof

by Daerwyn



Series: A Collection of Drabbles by Helmaninquiel [17]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, SOLDIER - Freeform, Soldiers, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 15:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5096111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daerwyn/pseuds/Daerwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Stop talking about love for a minute and help me with this bullet wound.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bulletproof

Your battalion had been sent in on a simple recovery mission of the few civilians that had failed to get out. There were only five of you, but that did not do anything to make it seem like there was an army. Enemy fire was surrounding all areas of where you would be dropping, and if anyone fell… well, there would be no extraction later, if no one made it the first time. This was their one chance.

And you were stuck with him. He loved to talk. He would sit near you in the dining hall, chattering away about his home in Scotland, in Inverness. He’d try to get you to participate as much as possible in the conversations, but you never cared past a simple polite nod of the head or smile. He certainly tried, you’d give him that. His suggestive winks, his flirty comments, his innuendos. And while they were frequent, nay constant, they were never over the line. He always knew when you weren’t in a good mood, when you were getting annoyed, or when you just flat out didn’t feel like it.

Which meant he could be silent, too. But not now. No, he was instead talking to one of the other men across the helicopter, about how beautiful lasses were in the Highlands. Where you were from. You couldn’t help the eye roll that escaped you as he described you to a T. Right down to your eye color and how it matched something he had seen only once before. The three men across from you – Major Thorin, his First Lieutenant Fili, and Captain Dwalin, were amused. Amused beyond belief.

You crossed your arms, but couldn’t help but give a small smile as Private Bofur described just how bright your eyes were sure to shine once you made it home. “And you’ll see that, will you?”

“Every intention of being the only one to see it, Private,” he returned with a wink.

Even on the worst days, he made you think of home. And you didn’t know why, but you never minded it. You didn’t feel homesick, just incredibly … excited for when you returned.

But as you dropped out of the helicopter, he fell silent, which was a good thing. But it made you all the more aware of the fact that you were in extreme danger.

“We go to the extraction point, and pick them up on the way. Keep your eyes out, and watch everyone’s six,” Thorin instructed. It was silent, and a slow, but hurried walk to the streets before you were able to pull up the GPS with the family you were extracting’s location. You uttered the location quietly, each step like a minefield as your eyes darted from the GPS to around you.

The small family was a mother and her three daughters, huddled together in what seemed to be a broken home. You only had known they were here because of a signal that was sent out on a refugee radio cast. And the airdropped GPS had been found and used accordingly, giving your company the impression that nothing was amiss. It was a risky trip, but one that you had all volunteered for.

You didn’t want to see any civilians fall if it could be prevented.

“Make for the extraction point,” Thorin commanded. You kept the two girls that were able to walk in front of you, and Fili kept his arm on the mother’s own as she held her youngest girl to her.

“We’ve got company,” Dwalin spoke gruffly. You saw it a second after him. The heads popping up on the rooftops, watching your every movement. They hadn’t been there before you had gotten the family.

“Grab the girls and let’s go,” Thorin’s voice verged on snapping. But it was calm enough not to alarm the small family. And before you could even react, Dwalin had scooped up one, and Bofur the other, before they were hustling behind Thorin as the pace picked up quickly. The extraction point was in sight. The abandoned school house, with a large flat roof that a helicopter could land on.

“Go, go, go!” Thorin snapped just as the first few shells of gunfire the plaster walls near you. And then you were quick on your feet, making sure the family always stayed in front of you, but also that you weren’t too far behind. A rough hand grabbed your shoulder and you were sent in a different direction just as a piece of the wall came crashing down a few feet to your left. You turned your head, seeing Bofur giving you a cheeky wink, before he hefted the girl on his side.

“Get a move on, lass. I can’t carry you, too.”

“I hope I don’t have to carry you. I’d just leave you behind,” you returned, but were grateful, none the less. Thorin was the first on the roof, and he shielded the mother as a few bullets flew in their direction.

“Get down!” he cried to her, and she was instantly laying on the roof, her baby cradled under her, and Bofur set down the second daughter beside the first, and they got down near their mother, crying, but you supposed that it could have been worse. You reached into your vest, pulling out the smoke, and cracking it open, before you began firing in the direction it was coming in.

You didn’t see the line of bullets that were creeping upon you from the back. You just saw Bofur suddenly jam into your side, sending you stumbling a few feet, and then the unmistakable sound of a bullet meeting flesh. Bofur groaned and you fired one last time as you heard the helicopter approaching, before turning to him. He wasn’t badly hit, just the shoulder. And you could tell that it would buy him a few weeks in R&R.

“Bofur’s hit,” you called. Fili cursed.

When the helicopter landed, the smoke making your eyes burn from the smoke signal, you helped the girls get on first as Thorin and Dwalin kept your backs guarded. And once the mother was on, you pulled Bofur towards the helicopter.

“Let’s go!” you called to the two soldiers. And you climbed in once you were sure they were following.  The helicopter took off, and the forsaken village was behind you. Only then did you exhale in relief, leaning back in your seat and shutting your eyes.

“While it’s all fine and dandy for you,” Bofur’s voice interrupted, and you felt a smirk twitch at your lips, “I’m bleeding out here.”

“I figured you wanted me to dress up in a nurses uniform before I tended to it,” you returned, your eyes peaking open to see he was pressing a hand to the wound. Blood was leaking out between his fingers and you winced.

“ **Stop talking about love for a minute and help me with this bullet wound,** ” Bofur winked. “We can talk about what you could wear later. I’ve plenty of ideas, but the nurse costume just made it to the top of the list. I knew you found me irresistible.”

You would indulge him for now. “And you flirt with any woman within two miles of you. Unfortunately, I’m the only one at camp.” He snorted, but you pulled at your pack until you came to a first aid kit, and leaned over his lap so that you could press some gauze against it. “That will have to hold it until we get back.”

But you were incredibly close to him and he knew it. He began to say something, a mix of numbers and old Scottish names. You raised an eyebrow. “My address, for when we get home. Might like to go for a cup of tea or a drink sometime, if you’re in the area?”

You leaned back, as he pressed the gauze to himself, without your help. And you had your own personal space. “Yeah? I’ll have to remember.”

But the strange thing was, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t forget them. And the more he smiled at you in victory, the more you found yourself smiling back. “Thanks for… knocking me out of the way.”

“Do a lot more for you, you know,” Bofur winked. And you somehow knew that he wasn’t lying. He never looked like a liar, with or without that silly hat of his.


End file.
